Sean O’Malley was going through it watching Conor McGregor’s disappointing UFC 329 injury loss.
The former bantamweight champion posted an emotional live YouTube reaction to Saturday’s main event, which saw McGregor forced to bow out in just 69 seconds after injuring his leg in a loss to Max Holloway. McGregor was fighting for the first time since July 2021—when a broken leg signaled the start of his five-year hiatus—and fans at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas were left speechless at the abrupt ending
to McGregor’s comeback.
O’Malley was as stunned as anyone as he endured a lengthy crash-out watching one of his idols falter.
Watch O’Malley’s full reaction below.
“I feel like I’m in shock,” O’Malley said. “I cannot believe what just happened. There’s no way he had a previous knee injury going into the fight. There’s no way, because you don’t come out with a f*cking double front backflip 720 spinning heel kick to the chin if your knee’s compromised. It’s hard for me to believe if he had a previous existing injury. I’m so sad right now.”
Following the loss, McGregor has maintained a positive attitude regarding his injury and potential recovery time, with the expectation that he will fulfill the final fight on his UFC contract at some point in the future. The former two-division champion has credited a renewed sense of spirituality for helping him to rededicate himself to fighting following years of public misconduct that include multiple allegations of sexual assault and suspicion of rampant substance abuse (McGregor admitted to cocaine use when testifying in a civil suit for which he was eventually found liable in November 2024 for sexual assault).
O’Malley worries this new setback could cause McGregor to spiral.
“Oh God, I hope Conor doesn’t go off the f*cking deep end,” O’Malley said. “And if he does, I hope he calls me and asks me to join him because I would love to f*cking partake off the deep end with you. If you need a mate, let f*cking let me know.
“All those five years that he was off—and even those years before when he wasn’t off, but he was still in—a lot of alcohol. A lot of nose lattes. A lot of just partying and that takes a toll on your body. Then you come out there and you throw a spinning 180 900 720 kick flip kick and your shit pops.”
Despite McGregor’s return fight being a bust, there was no denying anticipation was high to see “Notorious” fight again and that was reflected at the box office. UFC CEO touted that the McGregor vs. Holloway rematch broke the promotion’s gate record, generating $25 million in ticket sales.
McGregor is still big business and if he does fight again, O’Malley expects everyone to show up.
“If Conor decides to fight again, battling the demons to come back and—not even just to get to the octagon, but to get through the fight,” O’Malley said. “What do you do if you’re the UFC? You had the Chandler stuff with the toe, out for years, then he finally gets in, it’s happening, it’s happening. F*cking tickets sold out, Vegas sold out, gets to the fight, blows his shit out in 30 seconds.
“Do you book Conor again? Conor probably got paid 15, 20, 25, 30 million, 40 million, whatever, 10 million, I don’t know what he got paid. The UFC made their money from the gate, Paramount was happy with the views, so I guess they still made money, but how do you sell it again? The thing is, it will sell again. Conor vs. anybody, end of the year, next year, will be huge. It will probably break the f*cking gate again.”
